Safe zone creation to reduce power consumption in an electronic digital tracking device

Abstract

A method for creating dynamic safe zones comprises determining, by a tracking device, the tracking device is outside a domicile, monitoring, by the tracking device, a location of the tracking device, in response to the location satisfying a condition, creating a safe zone for the tracking device, and while the tracking device is within the safe zone, reducing power consumption of the tracking device, wherein the method is performed using one or more computing devices.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A data processing method comprising:
 determining, via an electronic digital tracking device, based on the absence of a signal from a beacon generator, that the tracking device is outside a primary domicile; 
 in response to a current location of the tracking device satisfying a condition, creating and storing in memory digital data defining a secondary domicile for the tracking device, wherein the condition is an amount of time spent at the location; 
 while the tracking device is within the secondary domicile, reducing power consumption of the tracking device. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising monitoring a location of the tracking device using a first sensor of a plurality of sensors of the tracking device. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising reducing the power consumption by using a second sensor of the plurality of sensors of the tracking device to monitor the location of the tracking device instead of the first sensor. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the first sensor is a GPS receiver, and wherein the second sensor is a motion sensor. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining that the tracking device is outside the primary domicile is determined by a short-range radio (SSR) within the tracking device detecting the absence of the signal from the beacon generator. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the beacon generator includes a battery charger capable of charging a battery of the tracking device. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the condition includes the presence of a second signal from a beacon generator. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adjusting a signal strength parameter in response to the tracking device increasing power consumption without a breach occurring. 
     
     
       9. A computer system comprising:
 a beacon generator that is programmed to produce a signal; 
 a tracking device comprising a plurality of sensors, a processor, and a non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause: 
 determining the tracking device is outside a primary domicile based the absence of a signal from a beacon generator; 
 in response to a current location of the tracking device satisfying a condition, creating and storing in memory digital data defining a secondary domicile for the tracking device, wherein the condition is an amount of time spent at the location; and 
 while the tracking device is within the secondary domicile, reducing power consumption of the tracking device. 
 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9 , further comprising instructions stored in the storage media which when executed cause monitoring the location using a first sensor of the plurality of sensors of the tracking device, and reducing the power consumption by using a second sensor of the plurality of sensors to monitor the location of the tracking device instead of the first sensor. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first sensor is a GPS receiver, and wherein the second sensor is an accelerometer. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the determining that the tracking device is outside the primary domicile is determined by a short-range radio (SRR) within the tracking device detecting the absence of the signal from the beacon generator. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12 , wherein the beacon generator further comprises a battery charger capable of charging a battery of the tracking device. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the computer-readable media comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, further cause adjusting a signal strength parameter in response to the tracking device increasing power consumption without a breach occurring. 
     
     
       15. A method comprising:
 storing in a memory on a tracking device first data associated with a primary domicile for the tracking device and second data associated with a secondary domicile for the tracking device; 
 determining that the tracking device is in the primary domicile or the secondary domicile via a first unit of the tracking device detecting a presence of a signal including first data or second data from a beacon generator; 
 setting, by the tracking device, the first unit to a low power state and monitoring the tracking device for motion using a motion sensor; 
 in response to detecting motion of the tracking device using the motion sensor, activating the first unit and determining whether the tracking device is in the primary domicile or the secondary domicile. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 when the tracking device is not in the primary domicile or secondary domicile, activating a GPS sensor in the tracking device and determining a location of the tracking device using the GPS sensor. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 determining that the location is outside the primary domicile and is outside the secondary domicile; 
 in response to determining that the location is outside the primary domicile, generating and sending an alert message from the tracking device to a server. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising, in response to determining that the tracking device is in the primary domicile or in the secondary domicile, returning the first unit to the low power state. 
     
     
       19. A tracking device, comprising:
 a processor, a GPS receiver connected to the processor, a short range receiver connected to the processor, a motion sensor connected to the processor and a memory connected to the processor; 
 wherein the memory includes first data associated with a primary domicile for the tracking device and second data associated with a secondary domicile for the tracking device; 
 wherein the short range receiver is configured to detect a signal from a beacon generator; 
 wherein the tracking device determines the tracking device is in the primary domicile upon detection of the first data in the signal and determines the tracking device is in the secondary domicile upon detection of the second data in the signal, 
 wherein the tracking device enters a reduced power state and monitors the tracking device for motion using the motion sensor upon determination that the tracking device is in the primary domicile or the secondary domicile. 
 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the tracking device determines the tracking device is not in the primary domicile upon detecting absence of the first data in the signal; 
 the tracking device determines the tracking device is not in the secondary domicile upon detecting absence of the second data in the signal; and 
 the tracking device activates the GPS receiver upon determining that the tracking device is not in the first domicile and is not in the second domicile.